Tahoe Science Projects supported by SNPLMA

The Tahoe Climate Information Management System (TahoeClim)

Lead Researchers:

Abstract

Weather and climate are well understood to be very important as primary drivers of atmospheric, ecological, limnological, biological, geological, hydrological and economic processes affecting the basin in myriad ways. Within the Tahoe Basin a heavy and steady demand for such information exists, and a large amount of data and information already exist, but are not fully validated, processed or available from any single authoritative source. A joint collaboration between the Western Regional Climate Center at DRI in Reno and the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) will develop an accessible archive of historical and current meteorological and climatological data for the Tahoe Basin. The Tahoe Climate Information Management System (TahoeClim) will include all past and present observations from the principal weather and climate networks operating in the basin and NASA space-borne thermal infrared imagery. A variety of specialized sites on and near the lake, and in and near the basin, will likewise be incorporated, including a small number to be added or augmented during this project. The data flow and management system will be established to allow the continued assimilation and archiving of real-time data in the future. The data sets will include direct measurements from in situ locations, interpolated and infilled data on fine grids, three-dimensional hourly fields of data from the last five years, and synthesized information in the form of products, many of which can be generated directly by the users and therefore be more responsive to their needs. The intended audience encompasses the public, managers, politicians, the press, educators and students, but will meet the more stringent demands and standards of the environmental research community.

Relation to Other SNPLMA Projects

This project will be coordinated with his proposed SNPLMA Round 10 science project, "Improving meteorological data and forecasts for prescribed fire burn day decisions for the Lake Tahoe Basin."